The Portu-galo food truck, selling Portuguese sandwiches and small bites, is gaining fans of Portuguese food, one stop at a time.

The truck, one of several that will be selling fare at the Food Truck Bash in Providence this Sunday, offers five or six daily specials such as piri piri chicken sandwiches, made with chicken marinated in Portuguese-style hot sauce; chourico empanadas with onions, peppers and cream cheese; rissois, an empanada filled with shrimp; the “Prego,” steak topped with a fried egg and roasted pepper; and the bifana, a pork loin with caramelized onion and garlic aioli on a crusty roll.

Levi Medina, who operates the truck with his wife, Tanya, said it’s the only truck in this area specializing in Portuguese food. As far as he knows, the only other food truck specializing in Portuguese fare is in Florida.

The East Providence residents started the truck in April, so they haven’t been through a winter on the truck yet, but Medina said he expects to be busy through Christmas. After that, he said, it all depends on the weather.

The Portu-galo food truck’s route varies daily, but some of its regular stops include Providence’s East Side near Brown University and Kennedy Plaza. Medina said they also do other food truck events like the Food Truck Bash, festivals, farmer’s markets and private parties. “There’s so many things around — we couldn’t possibly do them all,” he said.

Still, the couple works six days a week, most weeks, selling at lunch, dinner on some nights, and also selling late night snacks outside of bars from time to time.

The truck was also featured in video with the Fall River-based Portuguese Kids comedy troupe.

And the response to the spicy Portuguese fare so far has been positive. “Our customers aren’t afraid to try anything,” Medina said.

The Portu-galo food truck and food trucks from Providence, Boston and New York will compete against each other in a friendly competition at the Food Truck Bash Northeast Invitational for the reigning title in three categories: Best of the Northeast; Most Creative; and Best of Maker’s Mark bourbon.

“They’re spectacular trucks; they’re some of the most popular trucks around,” said Mindy Harris, founder of the Food Truck Bash. Harris, who organized a similar event in Boston, said the trucks offer a broad range of types of food from the Nuchas, an all-empanada truck, to Wafel and Dinges truck that specializes in all things waffle. “They’re one of the most popular trucks in New York,” she added.

1 tablespoon of Maker’s Mark Bourbon (if you prefer, you can boil off the alcohol by putting 2 tablespoons in a small pot and carefully simmering it until the Bourbon reduces by half, then let cool)

Directions

Mix all the marinade ingredients and set aside. Pound the chicken breast out so it is less than half an inch thick. Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and let marinade in the refrigerator for one hour. While the chicken is marinating you can make the aioli. Mix the all the aioli ingredients together in a small bowl and let the flavors blend in the fridge for half an hour. Preheat the grill or a skillet with a drizzle of canola oil. Cook the chicken until it is well done. Assemble the sandwich by putting some aioli on the both sides of the roll. Add the chicken, onion and mixed greens.